COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS for ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS & LITERACY IN HISTORY/SOCIAL STUDIES, SCIENCE AND TECHNIC

AL SUBJECTS

STANDARDS FOR

English Language Arts
6–12

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COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS for ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS & LITERACY IN HISTORY/SOCIAL STUDIES, SCIENCE AND TECHNIC AL SUBJECTS

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Reading Standards for Literature 6–12

RL

The following standards o er a focus for instruction each year and help ensure that students gain adequate exposure to a range of texts and tasks. Rigor is also infused through the requirement that students read increasingly complex texts through the grades. Students advancing through the grades are expected to meet each year’s grade-speciﬁc standards and retain or further develop skills and understandings mastered in preceding grades.

Grade 6 students:
Key Ideas and Details
1. Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. Determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments. Describe how a particular story’s or drama’s plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution. 1.

Grade 7 students:
Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text. Analyze how particular elements of a story or drama interact (e.g., how setting shapes the characters or plot). 1.

Grade 8 students:
Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to the characters, setting, and plot; provide an objective summary of the text. Analyze how particular lines of dialogue or incidents in a story or drama propel the action, reveal aspects of a character, or provoke a decision.

2.

2.

2.

3.

3.

3.

Craft and Structure
4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including ﬁgurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of a speciﬁc word choice on meaning and tone. 4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including ﬁgurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of rhymes and other repetitions of sounds (e.g., alliteration) on a speciﬁc verse or stanza of a poem or section of a story or drama. Analyze how a drama’s or poem’s form or structure (e.g., soliloquy, sonnet) contributes to its meaning. Analyze how an author develops and contrasts the points of view of di erent characters or narrators in a text. 4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including ﬁgurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of speciﬁc word choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other texts. Compare and contrast the structure of two or more texts and analyze how the di ering structure of each text contributes to its meaning and style. Analyze how di erences in the points of view of the characters and the audience or reader (e.g., created through the use of dramatic irony) create such e ects as suspense or humor.

6-12 | ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS | READING: LITERATURE

5.

Analyze how a particular sentence, chapter, scene, or stanza ﬁts into the overall structure of a text and contributes to the development of the theme, setting, or plot. Explain how an author develops the point of view of the narrator or speaker in a text.

5.

5.

6.

6.

6.

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Reading Standards for Literature 6–12
Grade 6 students:
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
7. Compare and contrast the experience of reading a story, drama, or poem to listening to or viewing an audio, video, or live version of the text, including contrasting what they “see” and “hear” when reading the text to what they perceive when they listen or watch. (Not applicable to literature) Compare and contrast texts in di erent forms or genres (e.g., stories and poems; historical novels and fantasy stories) in terms of their approaches to similar themes and topics. 7. Compare and contrast a written story, drama, or poem to its audio, ﬁlmed, staged, or multimedia version, analyzing the e ects of techniques unique to each medium (e.g., lighting, sound, color, or camera focus and angles in a ﬁlm). (Not applicable to literature) Compare and contrast a ﬁctional portrayal of a time, place, or character and a historical account of the same period as a means of understanding how authors of ﬁction use or alter history. 7. Analyze the extent to which a ﬁlmed or live production of a story or drama stays faithful to or departs from the text or script, evaluating the choices made by the director or actors.

RL

Grade 7 students:

Grade 8 students:

8. 9.

8. 9.

8. 9.

(Not applicable to literature) Analyze how a modern work of ﬁction draws on themes, patterns of events, or character types from myths, traditional stories, or religious works such as the Bible, including describing how the material is rendered new.

Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
10. By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, in the grades 6–8 text complexity band proﬁciently, with sca olding as needed at the high end of the range. 10. By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, in the grades 6–8 text complexity band proﬁciently, with sca olding as needed at the high end of the range. 10. By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, at the high end of grades 6–8 text complexity band independently and proﬁciently.

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Reading Standards for Literature 6–12
The CCR anchor standards and high school grade-speciﬁc standards work in tandem to deﬁne college and career readiness expectations—the former providing broad standards, the latter providing additional speciﬁcity.

RL

Grades 9–10 students:
Key Ideas and Details
1. Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and reﬁned by speciﬁc details; provide an objective summary of the text. Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conﬂicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme. 1.

Grades 11–12 students:
Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain. Determine two or more themes or central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to produce a complex account; provide an objective summary of the text. Analyze the impact of the author’s choices regarding how to develop and relate elements of a story or drama (e.g., where a story is set, how the action is ordered, how the characters are introduced and developed).

2.

2.

3.

3.

Craft and Structure
4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including ﬁgurative and connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of speciﬁc word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language evokes a sense of time and place; how it sets a formal or informal tone). Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how to structure a text, order events within it (e.g., parallel plots), and manipulate time (e.g., pacing, ﬂashbacks) create such e ects as mystery, tension, or surprise. Analyze a particular point of view or cultural experience reﬂected in a work of literature from outside the United States, drawing on a wide reading of world literature. 4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including ﬁgurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of speciﬁc word choices on meaning and tone, including words with multiple meanings or language that is particularly fresh, engaging, or beautiful. (Include Shakespeare as well as other authors.) Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how to structure speciﬁc parts of a text (e.g., the choice of where to begin or end a story, the choice to provide a comedic or tragic resolution) contribute to its overall structure and meaning as well as its aesthetic impact. Analyze a case in which grasping point of view requires distinguishing what is directly stated in a text from what is really meant (e.g., satire, sarcasm, irony, or understatement).

| 6-12 | ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS | READING: LITERATURE

5.

5.

6.

6.

Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
7. Analyze the representation of a subject or a key scene in two di erent artistic mediums, including what is emphasized or absent in each treatment (e.g., Auden’s “Musée des Beaux Arts” and Breughel’s Landscape with the Fall of Icarus). (Not applicable to literature) Analyze how an author draws on and transforms source material in a speciﬁc work (e.g., how Shakespeare treats a theme or topic from Ovid or the Bible or how a later author draws on a play by Shakespeare). 7. Analyze multiple interpretations of a story, drama, or poem (e.g., recorded or live production of a play or recorded novel or poetry), evaluating how each version interprets the source text. (Include at least one play by Shakespeare and one play by an American dramatist.) (Not applicable to literature) Demonstrate knowledge of eighteenth-, nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century foundational works of American literature, including how two or more texts from the same period treat similar themes or topics.

8. 9.

8. 9.

Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
10. By the end of grade 9, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, in the grades 9–10 text complexity band proﬁciently, with sca olding as needed at the high end of the range. By the end of grade 10, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, at the high end of the grades 9–10 text complexity band independently and proﬁciently. 10. By the end of grade 11, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, in the grades 11–CCR text complexity band proﬁciently, with sca olding as needed at the high end of the range. By the end of grade 12, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, at the high end of the grades 11–CCR text complexity band independently and proﬁciently.

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Reading Standards for Informational Text 6–12
Grade 6 students:
Key Ideas and Details
1. Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. Determine a central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments. Analyze in detail how a key individual, event, or idea is introduced, illustrated, and elaborated in a text (e.g., through examples or anecdotes). 1. Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. Determine two or more central ideas in a text and analyze their development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text. Analyze the interactions between individuals, events, and ideas in a text (e.g., how ideas inﬂuence individuals or events, or how individuals inﬂuence ideas or events). 1.

RI

Grade 7 students:

Grade 8 students:
Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to supporting ideas; provide an objective summary of the text. Analyze how a text makes connections among and distinctions between individuals, ideas, or events (e.g., through comparisons, analogies, or categories).

2.

2.

2.

3.

3.

3.

Craft and Structure
4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including ﬁgurative, connotative, and technical meanings. 4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including ﬁgurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the impact of a speciﬁc word choice on meaning and tone. Analyze the structure an author uses to organize a text, including how the major sections contribute to the whole and to the development of the ideas. Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how the author distinguishes his or her position from that of others. 4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including ﬁgurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the impact of speciﬁc word choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other texts. Analyze in detail the structure of a speciﬁc paragraph in a text, including the role of particular sentences in developing and reﬁning a key concept. Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how the author acknowledges and responds to conﬂicting evidence or viewpoints.

6-12 | ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS | READING: INFORMATIONAL TEXT

5.

Analyze how a particular sentence, paragraph, chapter, or section ﬁts into the overall structure of a text and contributes to the development of the ideas. Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and explain how it is conveyed in the text.

5.

5.

6.

6.

6.

Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
7. Integrate information presented in di erent media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as in words to develop a coherent understanding of a topic or issue. Trace and evaluate the argument and speciﬁc claims in a text, distinguishing claims that are supported by reasons and evidence from claims that are not. Compare and contrast one author’s presentation of events with that of another (e.g., a memoir written by and a biography on the same person). 7. Compare and contrast a text to an audio, video, or multimedia version of the text, analyzing each medium’s portrayal of the subject (e.g., how the delivery of a speech a ects the impact of the words). Trace and evaluate the argument and speciﬁc claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and su cient to support the claims. Analyze how two or more authors writing about the same topic shape their presentations of key information by emphasizing di erent evidence or advancing di erent interpretations of facts. 7. Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of using di erent mediums (e.g., print or digital text, video, multimedia) to present a particular topic or idea.

8.

8.

8.

Delineate and evaluate the argument and speciﬁc claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and su cient; recognize when irrelevant evidence is introduced. Analyze a case in which two or more texts provide conﬂicting information on the same topic and identify where the texts disagree on matters of fact or interpretation.

9.

9.

9.

Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
10. By the end of the year, read and comprehend literary nonﬁction in the grades 6–8 text complexity band proﬁciently, with sca olding as needed at the high end of the range. 10. By the end of the year, read and comprehend literary nonﬁction in the grades 6–8 text complexity band proﬁciently, with sca olding as needed at the high end of the range. 10. By the end of the year, read and comprehend literary nonﬁction at the high end of the grades 6–8 text complexity band independently and proﬁciently.

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COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS for ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS & LITERACY IN HISTORY/SOCIAL STUDIES, SCIENCE AND TECHNIC AL SUBJECTS

Reading Standards for Informational Text 6–12
The CCR anchor standards and high school grade-speciﬁc standards work in tandem to deﬁne college and career readiness expectations—the former providing broad standards, the latter providing additional speciﬁcity.

RI

Grades 9–10 students:
Key Ideas and Details
1. Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and reﬁned by speciﬁc details; provide an objective summary of the text. Analyze how the author unfolds an analysis or series of ideas or events, including the order in which the points are made, how they are introduced and developed, and the connections that are drawn between them. 1.

Grades 11–12 students:
Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain. Determine two or more central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to provide a complex analysis; provide an objective summary of the text. Analyze a complex set of ideas or sequence of events and explain how speciﬁc individuals, ideas, or events interact and develop over the course of the text.

2.

2.

3.

3.

Craft and Structure
4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including ﬁgurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of speciﬁc word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language of a court opinion di ers from that of a newspaper). Analyze in detail how an author’s ideas or claims are developed and reﬁned by particular sentences, paragraphs, or larger portions of a text (e.g., a section or chapter). Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how an author uses rhetoric to advance that point of view or purpose. 4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including ﬁgurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze how an author uses and reﬁnes the meaning of a key term or terms over the course of a text (e.g., how Madison deﬁnes faction in Federalist No. 10). Analyze and evaluate the e ectiveness of the structure an author uses in his or her exposition or argument, including whether the structure makes points clear, convincing, and engaging. Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text in which the rhetoric is particularly e ective, analyzing how style and content contribute to the power, persuasiveness, or beauty of the text.

| 6-12 | ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS | READING: INFORMATIONAL TEXT

5.

5.

6.

6.

Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
7. Analyze various accounts of a subject told in di erent mediums (e.g., a person’s life story in both print and multimedia), determining which details are emphasized in each account. Delineate and evaluate the argument and speciﬁc claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is valid and the evidence is relevant and su cient; identify false statements and fallacious reasoning. 7. Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in di erent media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as in words in order to address a question or solve a problem. Delineate and evaluate the reasoning in seminal U.S. texts, including the application of constitutional principles and use of legal reasoning (e.g., in U.S. Supreme Court majority opinions and dissents) and the premises, purposes, and arguments in works of public advocacy (e.g., The Federalist, presidential addresses). Analyze seventeenth-, eighteenth-, and nineteenth-century foundational U.S. documents of historical and literary signiﬁcance (including The Declaration of Independence, the Preamble to the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address) for their themes, purposes, and rhetorical features.

8.

8.

9.

Analyze seminal U.S. documents of historical and literary signiﬁcance (e.g., Washington’s Farewell Address, the Gettysburg Address, Roosevelt’s Four Freedoms speech, King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail”), including how they address related themes and concepts.

9.

Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
10. By the end of grade 9, read and comprehend literary nonﬁction in the grades 9–10 text complexity band proﬁciently, with sca olding as needed at the high end of the range. By the end of grade 10, read and comprehend literary nonﬁction at the high end of the grades 9–10 text complexity band independently and proﬁciently. 10. By the end of grade 11, read and comprehend literary nonﬁction in the grades 11–CCR text complexity band proﬁciently, with sca olding as needed at the high end of the range. By the end of grade 12, read and comprehend literary nonﬁction at the high end of the grades 11–CCR text complexity band independently and proﬁciently.

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College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Writing
The grades 6–12 standards on the following pages deﬁne what students should understand and be able to do by the end of each grade. They correspond to the College and Career Readiness (CCR) anchor standards below by number. The CCR and grade-speciﬁc standards are necessary complements—the former providing broad standards, the latter providing additional speciﬁcity—that together deﬁne the skills and understandings that all students must demonstrate.

Note on range and content of student writing
For students, writing is a key means of asserting and defending claims, showing what they know about a subject, and conveying what they have experienced, imagined, thought, and felt. To be college- and careerready writers, students must take task, purpose, and audience into careful consideration, choosing words, information, structures, and formats deliberately. They need to know how to combine elements of di erent kinds of writing—for example, to use narrative strategies within argument and explanation within narrative— to produce complex and nuanced writing. They need to be able to use technology strategically when creating, reﬁning, and collaborating on writing. They have to become adept at gathering information, evaluating sources, and citing material accurately, reporting ﬁndings from their research and analysis of sources in a clear and cogent manner. They must have the ﬂexibility, concentration, and ﬂuency to produce high-quality ﬁrstdraft text under a tight deadline as well as the capacity to revisit and make improvements to a piece of writing over multiple drafts when circumstances encourage or require it.

Text Types and Purposes*
1. 2. 3. Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and su cient evidence. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and information clearly and accurately through the e ective selection, organization, and analysis of content. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using e ective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.

Production and Distribution of Writing
4. 5. 6. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and to interact and collaborate with others.

Research to Build and Present Knowledge
7. 6-12 | ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS | WRITING 8. 9. Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects based on focused questions, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation. Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, assess the credibility and accuracy of each source, and integrate the information while avoiding plagiarism. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reﬂection, and research.

Range of Writing
10. Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reﬂection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.

*

These broad types of writing include many subgenres. See Appendix A for deﬁnitions of key writing types.

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Writing Standards 6–12

W

The following standards for grades 6–12 o er a focus for instruction each year to help ensure that students gain adequate mastery of a range of skills and applications. Each year in their writing, students should demonstrate increasing sophistication in all aspects of language use, from vocabulary and syntax to the development and organization of ideas, and they should address increasingly demanding content and sources. Students advancing through the grades are expected to meet each year’s grade-speciﬁc standards and retain or further develop skills and understandings mastered in preceding grades. The expected growth in student writing ability is reﬂected both in the standards themselves and in the collection of annotated student writing samples in Appendix C.

Grade 6 students:
Text Types and Purposes
1. Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence. a. Introduce claim(s) and organize the reasons and evidence clearly. b. Support claim(s) with clear reasons and relevant evidence, using credible sources and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text. c. Use words, phrases, and clauses to clarify the relationships among claim(s) and reasons. d. Establish and maintain a formal style. e. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from the argument presented. 1.

Grade 7 students:
Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence. a. Introduce claim(s), acknowledge alternate or opposing claims, and organize the reasons and evidence logically. b. Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant evidence, using accurate, credible sources and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text. c. Use words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among claim(s), reasons, and evidence. d. Establish and maintain a formal style. e. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content. a. Introduce a topic clearly, previewing what is to follow; organize ideas, concepts, and information, using strategies such as deﬁnition, classiﬁcation, comparison/contrast, and cause/ e ect; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., charts, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension. b. Develop the topic with relevant facts, deﬁnitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples. c. Use appropriate transitions to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among ideas and concepts. d. Use precise language and domain-speciﬁc vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic. e. Establish and maintain a formal style. f. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the information or explanation presented. 1.

Grade 8 students:
Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence. a. Introduce claim(s), acknowledge and distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and organize the reasons and evidence logically. b. Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant evidence, using accurate, credible sources and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text. c. Use words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence. d. Establish and maintain a formal style. e. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content. a. Introduce a topic clearly, previewing what is to follow; organize ideas, concepts, and information into broader categories; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., charts, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension. b. Develop the topic with relevant, well-chosen facts, deﬁnitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples. c. Use appropriate and varied transitions to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among ideas and concepts. d. Use precise language and domain-speciﬁc vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic. e. Establish and maintain a formal style. f. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the information or explanation presented.

2.

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| 6-12 | ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS | WRITING

Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content. a. Introduce a topic; organize ideas, concepts, and information, using strategies such as deﬁnition, classiﬁcation, comparison/contrast, and cause/e ect; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., charts, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension. b. Develop the topic with relevant facts, deﬁnitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples. c. Use appropriate transitions to clarify the relationships among ideas and concepts. d. Use precise language and domain-speciﬁc vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic. e. Establish and maintain a formal style. f. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from the information or explanation presented.

2.

2.

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Writing Standards 6–12
Grade 6 students:
Text Types and Purposes (continued)
3. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using e ective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences. a. Engage and orient the reader by establishing a context and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally and logically. b. Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, and description, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters. c. Use a variety of transition words, phrases, and clauses to convey sequence and signal shifts from one time frame or setting to another. d. Use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, and sensory language to convey experiences and events. e. Provide a conclusion that follows from the narrated experiences or events. 3. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using e ective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences. a. Engage and orient the reader by establishing a context and point of view and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally and logically. b. Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, and description, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters. c. Use a variety of transition words, phrases, and clauses to convey sequence and signal shifts from one time frame or setting to another. d. Use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, and sensory language to capture the action and convey experiences and events. e. Provide a conclusion that follows from and reﬂects on the narrated experiences or events. 3.

W

Grade 7 students:

Grade 8 students:
Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using e ective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences. a. Engage and orient the reader by establishing a context and point of view and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally and logically. b. Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, description, and reﬂection, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters. c. Use a variety of transition words, phrases, and clauses to convey sequence, signal shifts from one time frame or setting to another, and show the relationships among experiences and events. d. Use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, and sensory language to capture the action and convey experiences and events. e. Provide a conclusion that follows from and reﬂects on the narrated experiences or events.

Production and Distribution of Writing
4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-speciﬁc expectations for writing types are deﬁned in standards 1–3 above.) With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach. (Editing for conventions should demonstrate command of Language standards 1–3 up to and including grade 6 on page 52.) 4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-speciﬁc expectations for writing types are deﬁned in standards 1–3 above.) With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have been addressed. (Editing for conventions should demonstrate command of Language standards 1–3 up to and including grade 7 on page 52.) Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and link to and cite sources as well as to interact and collaborate with others, including linking to and citing sources. 4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-speciﬁc expectations for writing types are deﬁned in standards 1–3 above.) With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have been addressed. (Editing for conventions should demonstrate command of Language standards 1–3 up to and including grade 8 on page 52.) Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and present the relationships between information and ideas e ciently as well as to interact and collaborate with others.

6-12 | ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS | WRITING

5.

5.

5.

6.

Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate su cient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of three pages in a single sitting.

6.

6.

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Writing Standards 6–12
Grade 6 students:
Research to Build and Present Knowledge
7. Conduct short research projects to answer a question, drawing on several sources and refocusing the inquiry when appropriate. 7. Conduct short research projects to answer a question, drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions for further research and investigation. Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, using search terms e ectively; assess the credibility and accuracy of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reﬂection, and research. a. Apply grade 7 Reading standards to literature (e.g., “Compare and contrast a ﬁctional portrayal of a time, place, or character and a historical account of the same period as a means of understanding how authors of ﬁction use or alter history”). b. Apply grade 7 Reading standards to literary nonﬁction (e.g. “Trace and evaluate the argument and speciﬁc claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and su cient to support the claims”). 7.

W

Grade 7 students:

Grade 8 students:
Conduct short research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question), drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions that allow for multiple avenues of exploration. Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, using search terms e ectively; assess the credibility and accuracy of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reﬂection, and research. a. Apply grade 8 Reading standards to literature (e.g., “Analyze how a modern work of ﬁction draws on themes, patterns of events, or character types from myths, traditional stories, or religious works such as the Bible, including describing how the material is rendered new”). b. Apply grade 8 Reading standards to literary nonﬁction (e.g., “Delineate and evaluate the argument and speciﬁc claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and su cient; recognize when irrelevant evidence is introduced”).

8.

Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources; assess the credibility of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and providing basic bibliographic information for sources. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reﬂection, and research. a. Apply grade 6 Reading standards to literature (e.g., “Compare and contrast texts in di erent forms or genres [e.g., stories and poems; historical novels and fantasy stories] in terms of their approaches to similar themes and topics”). b. Apply grade 6 Reading standards to literary nonﬁction (e.g., “Trace and evaluate the argument and speciﬁc claims in a text, distinguishing claims that are supported by reasons and evidence from claims that are not”).

8.

8.

9.

9.

9.

6-12 | ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS | WRITING

Range of Writing
10. Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reﬂection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-speciﬁc tasks, purposes, and audiences. 10. Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reﬂection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-speciﬁc tasks, purposes, and audiences. 10. Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reﬂection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-speciﬁc tasks, purposes, and audiences.

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Writing Standards 6–12
The CCR anchor standards and high school grade-speciﬁc standards work in tandem to deﬁne college and career readiness expectations—the former providing broad standards, the latter providing additional speciﬁcity.

W

Grades 9–10 students:
Text Types and Purposes
1. Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and su cient evidence. a. Introduce precise claim(s), distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and create an organization that establishes clear relationships among claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence. b. Develop claim(s) and counterclaims fairly, supplying evidence for each while pointing out the strengths and limitations of both in a manner that anticipates the audience’s knowledge level and concerns. c. Use words, phrases, and clauses to link the major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships between claim(s) and reasons, between reasons and evidence, and between claim(s) and counterclaims. d. Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms and conventions of the discipline in which they are writing. e. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented. 1.

Grades 11–12 students:
Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and su cient evidence. a. Introduce precise, knowledgeable claim(s), establish the signiﬁcance of the claim(s), distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and create an organization that logically sequences claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence. b. Develop claim(s) and counterclaims fairly and thoroughly, supplying the most relevant evidence for each while pointing out the strengths and limitations of both in a manner that anticipates the audience’s knowledge level, concerns, values, and possible biases. c. Use words, phrases, and clauses as well as varied syntax to link the major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships between claim(s) and reasons, between reasons and evidence, and between claim(s) and counterclaims. d. Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms and conventions of the discipline in which they are writing. e. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the e ective selection, organization, and analysis of content. a. Introduce a topic; organize complex ideas, concepts, and information so that each new element builds on that which precedes it to create a uniﬁed whole; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., ﬁgures, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension. b. Develop the topic thoroughly by selecting the most signiﬁcant and relevant facts, extended deﬁnitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples appropriate to the audience’s knowledge of the topic. c. Use appropriate and varied transitions and syntax to link the major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships among complex ideas and concepts. d. Use precise language, domain-speciﬁc vocabulary, and techniques such as metaphor, simile, and analogy to manage the complexity of the topic. e. Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms and conventions of the discipline in which they are writing. f. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the information or explanation presented (e.g., articulating implications or the signiﬁcance of the topic).

2.

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6-12 | ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS | WRITING

Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the e ective selection, organization, and analysis of content. a. Introduce a topic; organize complex ideas, concepts, and information to make important connections and distinctions; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., ﬁgures, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension. b. Develop the topic with well-chosen, relevant, and su cient facts, extended deﬁnitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples appropriate to the audience’s knowledge of the topic. c. Use appropriate and varied transitions to link the major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships among complex ideas and concepts. d. Use precise language and domain-speciﬁc vocabulary to manage the complexity of the topic. e. Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms and conventions of the discipline in which they are writing. f. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the information or explanation presented (e.g., articulating implications or the signiﬁcance of the topic).

2.

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Writing Standards 6–12
Grades 9–10 students:
Text Types and Purposes (continued)
3. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using e ective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences. a. Engage and orient the reader by setting out a problem, situation, or observation, establishing one or multiple point(s) of view, and introducing a narrator and/or characters; create a smooth progression of experiences or events. b. Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, description, reﬂection, and multiple plot lines, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters. c. Use a variety of techniques to sequence events so that they build on one another to create a coherent whole. d. Use precise words and phrases, telling details, and sensory language to convey a vivid picture of the experiences, events, setting, and/or characters. e. Provide a conclusion that follows from and reﬂects on what is experienced, observed, or resolved over the course of the narrative. 3.

W

Grades 11–12 students:
Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using e ective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences. a. Engage and orient the reader by setting out a problem, situation, or observation and its signiﬁcance, establishing one or multiple point(s) of view, and introducing a narrator and/or characters; create a smooth progression of experiences or events. b. Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, description, reﬂection, and multiple plot lines, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters. c. Use a variety of techniques to sequence events so that they build on one another to create a coherent whole and build toward a particular tone and outcome (e.g., a sense of mystery, suspense, growth, or resolution). d. Use precise words and phrases, telling details, and sensory language to convey a vivid picture of the experiences, events, setting, and/or characters. e. Provide a conclusion that follows from and reﬂects on what is experienced, observed, or resolved over the course of the narrative.

Production and Distribution of Writing
4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-speciﬁc expectations for writing types are deﬁned in standards 1–3 above.) Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most signiﬁcant for a speciﬁc purpose and audience. (Editing for conventions should demonstrate command of Language standards 1–3 up to and including grades 9–10 on page 54.) Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products, taking advantage of technology’s capacity to link to other information and to display information ﬂexibly and dynamically. 4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-speciﬁc expectations for writing types are deﬁned in standards 1–3 above.) Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most signiﬁcant for a speciﬁc purpose and audience. (Editing for conventions should demonstrate command of Language standards 1–3 up to and including grades 11–12 on page 54.) Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products in response to ongoing feedback, including new arguments or information.

5.

5.

6.

6.

6-12 | ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS | WRITING

Research to Build and Present Knowledge
7. Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation. Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced searches e ectively; assess the usefulness of each source in answering the research question; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the ﬂow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation. 7. Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation. Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced searches e ectively; assess the strengths and limitations of each source in terms of the task, purpose, and audience; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the ﬂow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and overreliance on any one source and following a standard format for citation.

8.

8.

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Writing Standards 6–12
Grades 9–10 students:
Research to Build and Present Knowledge (continued)
9. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reﬂection, and research. a. Apply grades 9–10 Reading standards to literature (e.g., “Analyze how an author draws on and transforms source material in a speciﬁc work [e.g., how Shakespeare treats a theme or topic from Ovid or the Bible or how a later author draws on a play by Shakespeare]”). b. Apply grades 9–10 Reading standards to literary nonﬁction (e.g., “Delineate and evaluate the argument and speciﬁc claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is valid and the evidence is relevant and su cient; identify false statements and fallacious reasoning”). 9.

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Grades 11–12 students:
Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reﬂection, and research. a. Apply grades 11–12 Reading standards to literature (e.g., “Demonstrate knowledge of eighteenth-, nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century foundational works of American literature, including how two or more texts from the same period treat similar themes or topics”). b. Apply grades 11–12 Reading standards to literary nonﬁction (e.g., “Delineate and evaluate the reasoning in seminal U.S. texts, including the application of constitutional principles and use of legal reasoning [e.g., in U.S. Supreme Court Case majority opinions and dissents] and the premises, purposes, and arguments in works of public advocacy [e.g., The Federalist, presidential addresses]”).

Range of Writing
10. Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reﬂection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences. 10. Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reﬂection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.

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College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Speaking and Listening
The grades 6–12 standards on the following pages deﬁne what students should understand and be able to do by the end of each grade. They correspond to the College and Career Readiness (CCR) anchor standards below by number. The CCR and grade-speciﬁc standards are necessary complements—the former providing broad standards, the latter providing additional speciﬁcity—that together deﬁne the skills and understandings that all students must demonstrate.

Note on range and content of student speaking and listening
To become college and career ready, students must have ample opportunities to take part in a variety of rich, structured conversations—as part of a whole class, in small groups, and with a partner—built around important content in various domains. They must be able to contribute appropriately to these conversations, to make comparisons and contrasts, and to analyze and synthesize a multitude of ideas in accordance with the standards of evidence appropriate to a particular discipline. Whatever their intended major or profession, high school graduates will depend heavily on their ability to listen attentively to others so that they are able to build on others’ meritorious ideas while expressing their own clearly and persuasively. New technologies have broadened and expanded the role that speaking and listening play in acquiring and sharing knowledge and have tightened their link to other forms of communication. The Internet has accelerated the speed at which connections between speaking, listening, reading, and writing can be made, requiring that students be ready to use these modalities nearly simultaneously. Technology itself is changing quickly, creating a new urgency for students to be adaptable in response to change.

Comprehension and Collaboration
1. 2. 3. Prepare for and participate e ectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively. Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally. Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric.

Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas
4. 6-12 | ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS | SPEAKING AND LISTENING 5. 6. Present information, ﬁndings, and supporting evidence such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. Make strategic use of digital media and visual displays of data to express information and enhance understanding of presentations. Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and communicative tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate.

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Speaking and Listening Standards 6–12
The following standards for grades 6–12 o er a focus for instruction in each year to help ensure that students gain adequate mastery of a range of skills and applications. Students advancing through the grades are expected to meet each year’s grade-speciﬁc standards and retain or further develop skills and understandings mastered in preceding grades.

SL

Grade 6 students:
Comprehension and Collaboration
1. Engage e ectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacherled) with diverse partners on grade 6 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly. a. Come to discussions prepared, having read or studied required material; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence on the topic, text, or issue to probe and reﬂect on ideas under discussion. b. Follow rules for collegial discussions, set speciﬁc goals and deadlines, and deﬁne individual roles as needed. c. Pose and respond to speciﬁc questions with elaboration and detail by making comments that contribute to the topic, text, or issue under discussion. d. Review the key ideas expressed and demonstrate understanding of multiple perspectives through reﬂection and paraphrasing. Interpret information presented in diverse media and formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) and explain how it contributes to a topic, text, or issue under study. Delineate a speaker’s argument and speciﬁc claims, distinguishing claims that are supported by reasons and evidence from claims that are not. 1.

Grade 7 students:
Engage e ectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacherled) with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly. a. Come to discussions prepared, having read or researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence on the topic, text, or issue to probe and reﬂect on ideas under discussion. b. Follow rules for collegial discussions, track progress toward speciﬁc goals and deadlines, and deﬁne individual roles as needed. c. Pose questions that elicit elaboration and respond to others’ questions and comments with relevant observations and ideas that bring the discussion back on topic as needed. d. Acknowledge new information expressed by others and, when warranted, modify their own views. 1.

Grade 8 students:
Engage e ectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacherled) with diverse partners on grade 8 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly. a. Come to discussions prepared, having read or researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence on the topic, text, or issue to probe and reﬂect on ideas under discussion. b. Follow rules for collegial discussions and decision-making, track progress toward speciﬁc goals and deadlines, and deﬁne individual roles as needed. c. Pose questions that connect the ideas of several speakers and respond to others’ questions and comments with relevant evidence, observations, and ideas. d. Acknowledge new information expressed by others, and, when warranted, qualify or justify their own views in light of the evidence presented. Analyze the purpose of information presented in diverse media and formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) and evaluate the motives (e.g., social, commercial, political) behind its presentation. Delineate a speaker’s argument and speciﬁc claims, evaluating the soundness of the reasoning and relevance and su ciency of the evidence and identifying when irrelevant evidence is introduced.

6-12 | ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS | SPEAKING AND LISTENING

2.

2.

Analyze the main ideas and supporting details presented in diverse media and formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) and explain how the ideas clarify a topic, text, or issue under study. Delineate a speaker’s argument and speciﬁc claims, evaluating the soundness of the reasoning and the relevance and su ciency of the evidence.

2.

3.

3.

3.

Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas
4. Present claims and ﬁndings, sequencing ideas logically and using pertinent descriptions, facts, and details to accentuate main ideas or themes; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation. Include multimedia components (e.g., graphics, images, music, sound) and visual displays in presentations to clarify information. Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate. (See grade 6 Language standards 1 and 3 on page 52 for speciﬁc expectations.) 4. Present claims and ﬁndings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent manner with pertinent descriptions, facts, details, and examples; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation. Include multimedia components and visual displays in presentations to clarify claims and ﬁndings and emphasize salient points. Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate. (See grade 7 Language standards 1 and 3 on page 52 for speciﬁc expectations.) 4. Present claims and ﬁndings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent manner with relevant evidence, sound valid reasoning, and well-chosen details; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation. Integrate multimedia and visual displays into presentations to clarify information, strengthen claims and evidence, and add interest. Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate. (See grade 8 Language standards 1 and 3 on page 52 for speciﬁc expectations.)

5.

5.

5.

6.

6.

6.

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Speaking and Listening Standards 6–12
The CCR anchor standards and high school grade-speciﬁc standards work in tandem to deﬁne college and career readiness expectations—the former providing broad standards, the latter providing additional speciﬁcity.

SL

Grades 9–10 students:
Comprehension and Collaboration
1. Initiate and participate e ectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 9–10 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively. a. Come to discussions prepared, having read and researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence from texts and other research on the topic or issue to stimulate a thoughtful, well-reasoned exchange of ideas. b. Work with peers to set rules for collegial discussions and decision-making (e.g., informal consensus, taking votes on key issues, presentation of alternate views), clear goals and deadlines, and individual roles as needed. c. Propel conversations by posing and responding to questions that relate the current discussion to broader themes or larger ideas; actively incorporate others into the discussion; and clarify, verify, or challenge ideas and conclusions. d. Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives, summarize points of agreement and disagreement, and, when warranted, qualify or justify their own views and understanding and make new connections in light of the evidence and reasoning presented. Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source. Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric, identifying any fallacious reasoning or exaggerated or distorted evidence. 1.

Grades 11–12 students:
Initiate and participate e ectively in a range of collaborative discussions (oneon-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 11–12 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively. a. Come to discussions prepared, having read and researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence from texts and other research on the topic or issue to stimulate a thoughtful, wellreasoned exchange of ideas. b. Work with peers to promote civil, democratic discussions and decisionmaking, set clear goals and deadlines, and establish individual roles as needed. c. Propel conversations by posing and responding to questions that probe reasoning and evidence; ensure a hearing for a full range of positions on a topic or issue; clarify, verify, or challenge ideas and conclusions; and promote divergent and creative perspectives. d. Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives; synthesize comments, claims, and evidence made on all sides of an issue; resolve contradictions when possible; and determine what additional information or research is required to deepen the investigation or complete the task. Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) in order to make informed decisions and solve problems, evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source and noting any discrepancies among the data. Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric, assessing the stance, premises, links among ideas, word choice, points of emphasis, and tone used.

6-12 | ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS | SPEAKING AND LISTENING

2.

2.

3.

3.

Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas
4. Present information, ﬁndings, and supporting evidence clearly, concisely, and logically such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and task. Make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual, and interactive elements) in presentations to enhance understanding of ﬁndings, reasoning, and evidence and to add interest. Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate. (See grades 9–10 Language standards 1 and 3 on pages 54 for speciﬁc expectations.) 4. Present information, ﬁndings, and supporting evidence, conveying a clear and distinct perspective, such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning, alternative or opposing perspectives are addressed, and the organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and a range of formal and informal tasks. Make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual, and interactive elements) in presentations to enhance understanding of ﬁndings, reasoning, and evidence and to add interest. Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating a command of formal English when indicated or appropriate. (See grades 11–12 Language standards 1 and 3 on page 54 for speciﬁc expectations.)

5.

5.

6.

6.

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COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS for ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS & LITERACY IN HISTORY/SOCIAL STUDIES, SCIENCE AND TECHNIC AL SUBJECTS

College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Language
The grades 6–12 standards on the following pages deﬁne what students should understand and be able to do by the end of each grade. They correspond to the College and Career Readiness (CCR) anchor standards below by number. The CCR and grade-speciﬁc standards are necessary complements—the former providing broad standards, the latter providing additional speciﬁcity—that together deﬁne the skills and understandings that all students must demonstrate.

Note on range and content of student language use
To be college and career ready in language, students must have ﬁrm control over the conventions of standard English. At the same time, they must come to appreciate that language is as at least as much a matter of craft as of rules and be able to choose words, syntax, and punctuation to express themselves and achieve particular functions and rhetorical e ects. They must also have extensive vocabularies, built through reading and study, enabling them to comprehend complex texts and engage in purposeful writing about and conversations around content. They need to become skilled in determining or clarifying the meaning of words and phrases they encounter, choosing ﬂexibly from an array of strategies to aid them. They must learn to see an individual word as part of a network of other words—words, for example, that have similar denotations but di erent connotations. The inclusion of Language standards in their own strand should not be taken as an indication that skills related to conventions, e ective language use, and vocabulary are unimportant to reading, writing, speaking, and listening; indeed, they are inseparable from such contexts.

Conventions of Standard English
1. 2. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

Knowledge of Language
3. Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in di erent contexts, to make e ective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening.

Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
4. 5. 6. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases by using context clues, analyzing meaningful word parts, and consulting general and specialized reference materials, as appropriate. Demonstrate understanding of ﬁgurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings. Acquire and use accurately a range of general academic and domain-speciﬁc words and phrases su cient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.

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Language Standards 6–12

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The following standards for grades 6–12 o er a focus for instruction each year to help ensure that students gain adequate mastery of a range of skills and applications. Students advancing through the grades are expected to meet each year’s grade-speciﬁc standards and retain or further develop skills and understandings mastered in preceding grades. Beginning in grade 3, skills and understandings that are particularly likely to require continued attention in higher grades as they are applied to increasingly sophisticated writing and speaking are marked with an asterisk (*). See the table on page 56 for a complete listing and Appendix A for an example of how these skills develop in sophistication.

Grade 6 students:
Conventions of Standard English
1. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. a. Ensure that pronouns are in the proper case (subjective, objective, possessive). b. Use intensive pronouns (e.g., myself, ourselves). c. Recognize and correct inappropriate shifts in pronoun number and person.* d. Recognize and correct vague pronouns (i.e., ones with unclear or ambiguous antecedents).* e. Recognize variations from standard English in their own and others’ writing and speaking, and identify and use strategies to improve expression in conventional language.* Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing. a. Use punctuation (commas, parentheses, dashes) to set o nonrestrictive/parenthetical elements.* b. Spell correctly. 1.

Grade 7 students:
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. a. Explain the function of phrases and clauses in general and their function in speciﬁc sentences. b. Choose among simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences to signal di ering relationships among ideas. c. Place phrases and clauses within a sentence, recognizing and correcting misplaced and dangling modiﬁers.* 1.

Grade 8 students:
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. a. Explain the function of verbals (gerunds, participles, inﬁnitives) in general and their function in particular sentences. b. Form and use verbs in the active and passive voice. c. Form and use verbs in the indicative, imperative, interrogative, conditional, and subjunctive mood. d. Recognize and correct inappropriate shifts in verb voice and mood.*

2.

2.

6-12 | ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS | LANGUAGE

Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing. a. Use a comma to separate coordinate adjectives (e.g., It was a fascinating, enjoyable movie but not He wore an old[,] green shirt). b. Spell correctly.

2.

Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing. a. Use punctuation (comma, ellipsis, dash) to indicate a pause or break. b. Use an ellipsis to indicate an omission. c. Spell correctly.

Knowledge of Language
3. Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening. a. Vary sentence patterns for meaning, reader/ listener interest, and style.* b. Maintain consistency in style and tone.* 3. Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening. a. Choose language that expresses ideas precisely and concisely, recognizing and eliminating wordiness and redundancy.* 3. Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening. a. Use verbs in the active and passive voice and in the conditional and subjunctive mood to achieve particular e ects (e.g., emphasizing the actor or the action; expressing uncertainty or describing a state contrary to fact).

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Language Standards 6–12
Grade 6 students:
Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
4. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 6 reading and content, choosing ﬂexibly from a range of strategies. a. Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence or paragraph; a word’s position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase. b. Use common, grade-appropriate Greek or Latin a xes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g., audience, auditory, audible). c. Consult reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to ﬁnd the pronunciation of a word or determine or clarify its precise meaning or its part of speech. d. Verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase (e.g., by checking the inferred meaning in context or in a dictionary). Demonstrate understanding of ﬁgurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings. a. Interpret ﬁgures of speech (e.g., personiﬁcation) in context. b. Use the relationship between particular words (e.g., cause/e ect, part/whole, item/category) to better understand each of the words. c. Distinguish among the connotations (associations) of words with similar denotations (deﬁnitions) (e.g., stingy, scrimping, economical, unwasteful, thrifty). Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-speciﬁc words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression. 4. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 7 reading and content, choosing ﬂexibly from a range of strategies. a. Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence or paragraph; a word’s position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase. b. Use common, grade-appropriate Greek or Latin a xes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g., belligerent, bellicose, rebel). c. Consult general and specialized reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to ﬁnd the pronunciation of a word or determine or clarify its precise meaning or its part of speech. d. Verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase (e.g., by checking the inferred meaning in context or in a dictionary). Demonstrate understanding of ﬁgurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings. a. Interpret ﬁgures of speech (e.g., literary, biblical, and mythological allusions) in context. b. Use the relationship between particular words (e.g., synonym/antonym, analogy) to better understand each of the words. c. Distinguish among the connotations (associations) of words with similar denotations (deﬁnitions) (e.g., reﬁned, respectful, polite, diplomatic, condescending). Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-speciﬁc words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression. 4.

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Grade 7 students:

Grade 8 students:
Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words or phrases based on grade 8 reading and content, choosing ﬂexibly from a range of strategies. a. Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence or paragraph; a word’s position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase. b. Use common, grade-appropriate Greek or Latin a xes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g., precede, recede, secede). c. Consult general and specialized reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to ﬁnd the pronunciation of a word or determine or clarify its precise meaning or its part of speech. d. Verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase (e.g., by checking the inferred meaning in context or in a dictionary). Demonstrate understanding of ﬁgurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings. a. Interpret ﬁgures of speech (e.g. verbal irony, puns) in context. b. Use the relationship between particular words to better understand each of the words. c. Distinguish among the connotations (associations) of words with similar denotations (deﬁnitions) (e.g., bullheaded, willful, ﬁrm, persistent, resolute).

5.

5.

5.

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6.

6.

6.

Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-speciﬁc words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.

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Language Standards 6–12
The CCR anchor standards and high school grade-speciﬁc standards work in tandem to deﬁne college and career readiness expectations—the former providing broad standards, the latter providing additional speciﬁcity.

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Grades 9–10 students:
Conventions of Standard English
1. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. a. Use parallel structure.* b. Use various types of phrases (noun, verb, adjectival, adverbial, participial, prepositional, absolute) and clauses (independent, dependent; noun, relative, adverbial) to convey speciﬁc meanings and add variety and interest to writing or presentations. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing. a. Use a semicolon (and perhaps a conjunctive adverb) to link two or more closely related independent clauses. b. Use a colon to introduce a list or quotation. c. Spell correctly. 1.

Grades 11–12 students:
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. a. Apply the understanding that usage is a matter of convention, can change over time, and is sometimes contested. b. Resolve issues of complex or contested usage, consulting references (e.g., Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of English Usage, Garner’s Modern American Usage) as needed. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing. a. Observe hyphenation conventions. b. Spell correctly.

2.

2.

Knowledge of Language
3. Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in di erent contexts, to make e ective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening. a. Write and edit work so that it conforms to the guidelines in a style manual (e.g., MLA Handbook, Turabian’s Manual for Writers) appropriate for the discipline and writing type. 3. Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in di erent contexts, to make e ective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening. a. Vary syntax for e ect, consulting references (e.g., Tufte’s Artful Sentences) for guidance as needed; apply an understanding of syntax to the study of complex texts when reading.

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Language Standards 6–12
Grades 9–10 students:
Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
4. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grades 9–10 reading and content, choosing ﬂexibly from a range of strategies. a. Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence, paragraph, or text; a word’s position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase. b. Identify and correctly use patterns of word changes that indicate di erent meanings or parts of speech (e.g., analyze, analysis, analytical; advocate, advocacy). c. Consult general and specialized reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to ﬁnd the pronunciation of a word or determine or clarify its precise meaning, its part of speech, or its etymology. d. Verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase (e.g., by checking the inferred meaning in context or in a dictionary). Demonstrate understanding of ﬁgurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings. a. Interpret ﬁgures of speech (e.g., euphemism, oxymoron) in context and analyze their role in the text. b. Analyze nuances in the meaning of words with similar denotations. Acquire and use accurately general academic and domain-speciﬁc words and phrases, su cient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression. 4.

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Grades 11–12 students:
Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grades 11–12 reading and content, choosing ﬂexibly from a range of strategies. a. Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence, paragraph, or text; a word’s position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase. b. Identify and correctly use patterns of word changes that indicate di erent meanings or parts of speech (e.g., conceive, conception, conceivable). c. Consult general and specialized reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to ﬁnd the pronunciation of a word or determine or clarify its precise meaning, its part of speech, its etymology, or its standard usage. d. Verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase (e.g., by checking the inferred meaning in context or in a dictionary). Demonstrate understanding of ﬁgurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings. a. Interpret ﬁgures of speech (e.g., hyperbole, paradox) in context and analyze their role in the text. b. Analyze nuances in the meaning of words with similar denotations. Acquire and use accurately general academic and domain-speciﬁc words and phrases, su cient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.

5.

5.

6.

6.

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Language Progressive Skills, by Grade
The following skills, marked with an asterisk (*) in Language standards 1–3, are particularly likely to require continued attention in higher grades as they are applied to increasingly sophisticated writing and speaking.

COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS for ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS & LITERACY IN HISTORY/SOCIAL STUDIES, SCIENCE AND TECHNIC AL SUBJECTS

Standard 10: Range, Quality, and Complexity of Student Reading 6–12 Measuring Text Complexity: Three Factors
Qualitative evaluation of the text: Levels of meaning, structure, language conventionality and clarity, and knowledge demands Quantitative evaluation of the text: Readability measures and other scores of text complexity Matching reader to text and task: Reader variables (such as motivation, knowledge, and experiences) and task variables (such as purpose and the complexity generated by the task assigned and the questions posed)

Note: More detailed information on text complexity and how it is measured is contained in Appendix A.
6-12 | ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS | READING STANDARD 10

Range of Text Types for 6–12
Students in grades 6–12 apply the Reading standards to the following range of text types, with texts selected from a broad range of cultures and periods.

Drama
Includes one-act and multi-act plays, both in written form and on ﬁlm

Literary Nonﬁction
Includes the subgenres of exposition, argument, and functional text in the form of personal essays, speeches, opinion pieces, essays about art or literature, biographies, memoirs, journalism, and historical, scientiﬁc, technical, or economic accounts (including digital sources) written for a broad audience

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“Letter on Thomas Jefferson” by John Adams (1776) Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave by Frederick Douglass (1845) “Blood, Toil, Tears and Sweat: Address to Parliament on May 13th, 1940” by Winston Churchill (1940) Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad by Ann Petry (1955) Travels with Charley: In Search of America by John Steinbeck (1962) “Speech to the Second Virginia Convention” by Patrick Henry (1775) “Farewell Address” by George Washington (1796) “Gettysburg Address” by Abraham Lincoln (1863) “State of the Union Address” by Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1941) “Letter from Birmingham Jail” by Martin Luther King, Jr. (1964) “Hope, Despair and Memory” by Elie Wiesel (1997)

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9–10

The Tragedy of Macbeth by William Shakespeare (1592) “Ozymandias” by Percy Bysshe Shelley (1817) “The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe (1845) “The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry (1906) The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck (1939) Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (1953) The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara (1975) “Ode on a Grecian Urn” by John Keats (1820) Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë (1848) “Because I Could Not Stop for Death” by Emily Dickinson (1890) The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (1925) Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston (1937) A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry (1959) The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri (2003)

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11– CCR

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Common Sense by Thomas Paine (1776) Walden by Henry David Thoreau (1854) “Society and Solitude” by Ralph Waldo Emerson (1857) “The Fallacy of Success” by G. K. Chesterton (1909) Black Boy by Richard Wright (1945) “Politics and the English Language” by George Orwell (1946) “Take the Tortillas Out of Your Poetry” by Rudolfo Anaya (1995)

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Note:

Given space limitations, the illustrative texts listed above are meant only to show individual titles that are representative of a range of topics and genres. (See Appendix B for excerpts of these and other texts illustrative of grades 6–12 text complexity, quality, and range.) At a curricular or instructional level, within and across grade levels, texts need to be selected around topics or themes that generate knowledge and allow students to study those topics or themes in depth.